Justice and Peace for Kim Laen Theng
Donation protected
As a way to supplement the labor for my friend in the passing of her mother, I am assisting in hosting this fundraiser to cover the expenses of the memorial and potential legal services necessary to lay Kim Laen Theng to rest. The following is her story directly from her daughter, Sonitha:
Hi my name is Sonitha, I am 23, I work part time, & I am hosting this gofundme in order to cover costs for my mother’s death so that she receives the justice and empathy that she deserves.
TW: death, domestic abuse, homicide, mention of bruises, mention of verbal abuse
On Tuesday November, 17th my mother was found unconscious on the dining room floor in her home. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. A homicide team has taken her case and started an investigation holding Almanzo O. Cotton, her abuser and roommate of 5 years, as the prime suspect. Because of the nature of their relationship, and the events that transpired on the weekend before, it is clear that Almanzo caused my mother’s death.
My mother was in an abusive relationship with Almanzo for 5 years. They would fight about money, and how he couldn’t hold a job for more than a year. Throughout this relationship I’ve witnessed many counts of physical violence from Almanzo against my mother. Several of which, I would have to break up. To my knowledge I am the only witness of this abuse. Because he was unemployed, he spent the majority of his time in their home drinking. He refused to do his own job applications and paperwork. So as an attempt to stop the abuse, I would end up doing this paperwork for him. If I didn’t, he would be verbally abusive towards me and more violent towards my mother. Two years ago, she reported Almanzo to the police for slashing her car tires after an argument where she refused to pay for Almanzo’s car repairs. When the police arrived to take a statement Almanzo fled the house. While questioning my mother, the police implied that she incited this act of violence, as well as questioned her sobriety. While I was not present at the time, I know my mother was fearful of Almanzo's actions and she was not under the influence of any kind.
When I last spoke to my mom on the Friday before she was found, she told me over text that she was going to spend the night at a hotel because she and Almanzo had gotten into a fight. I told her that she should leave Almanzo and she agreed with me. My assumption as to why she didn’t want to meet in person is because she had a black eye and bruises. It is not clear what she did over that weekend, the only thing that the police found about that weekend were many calls to her from Almanzo. We know that eventually she went back to the house.
On Monday November, 16th she did not show up for work or call in and nobody heard from her that day. This is not like her at all. The following morning, Almanzo claims that he found her unconscious in her home and called the police telling them that he assumed it was a burglary, but fled the house for fear of being blamed.
I do not believe the story Almanzo told the police. There was no sign of forced entry. There was nothing missing besides her keys. I went to her house to collect her belongings, while there I discovered that some of her clothes were missing as well as all of the kitchen knives. When he would be aggressive with her, she would try to defend herself with knives, it’s possible that he took them to prevent her from fighting back.
On a separate occasion when I went back to the house, I saw Almanzo come out from the house looking for something. He stared at me angrily trying to intimidate me, then he got in his car and blew a stop sign. I don’t know what he was looking for or why he was at the house.
Almanzo has tried to contact me on several occasions. He didn’t leave any messages, I didn’t answer his calls, and after a certain number of calls I blocked his number. My assumption is that he is trying to gaslight me.
Over the last two years, I’ve been trying to convince my mother to leave Almanzo. She’s been telling him to leave her house for months now. But, because she wouldn’t leave that situation I felt it was best if I left my mother’s home for my own health and safety. Our relationship had been getting better since I left. However, she still had hope that I would come back. In the weeks leading up to her death, she would project her anger towards Almanzo onto me. I noticed bruises on her neck from him strangling her when he was angry. I’ve witnessed this type of assault from him before. The last time we spoke, she yelled at me saying that she “wished he would end her life.” We then made a plan for her to leave him and find her an apartment. This was the last thing we talked about and what I thought she planned on doing. Currently, this man has been walking around, free, for 2 months because the police haven’t found enough evidence to arrest him. If Almanzo were to ever come after me. This statement would serve as evidence of his ill intent towards me. It also builds a stronger case for my mother. I hope that a closer view of his abuse and violence in that relationship will reveal the truth, so that my mother, Kim Laen Theng receives the justice she deserves, and I can live in peace.
Here is a general breakdown of the expenses I plan for this fund to cover:
$12,000 Lawyer expenses / Case expenses / Restraining order
$1,000 Mom’s memorial in Massachusetts / Room and board
$2,500 Cambodia / Scattering the ashes / Passport / Room and board
$1,000 Housekeeping / Preparations to sell the house
$2,000 Medical Expenses / Therapy / Group Therapy
This money would go towards lawyer expenses, preparations to sell her house, travel expenses and medical expenses. Her memorial is delayed due to COVID-19 and will be held in Massachusetts where most of her family resides. In the future, my mom’s ashes will be scattered in Cambodia. There are no other immediate family members besides myself in Minnesota, to take care of her estates.
xoxo,
Sonitha Tep (she/they) & Beau Tate (he/they)
Hi my name is Sonitha, I am 23, I work part time, & I am hosting this gofundme in order to cover costs for my mother’s death so that she receives the justice and empathy that she deserves.
TW: death, domestic abuse, homicide, mention of bruises, mention of verbal abuse
On Tuesday November, 17th my mother was found unconscious on the dining room floor in her home. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. A homicide team has taken her case and started an investigation holding Almanzo O. Cotton, her abuser and roommate of 5 years, as the prime suspect. Because of the nature of their relationship, and the events that transpired on the weekend before, it is clear that Almanzo caused my mother’s death.
My mother was in an abusive relationship with Almanzo for 5 years. They would fight about money, and how he couldn’t hold a job for more than a year. Throughout this relationship I’ve witnessed many counts of physical violence from Almanzo against my mother. Several of which, I would have to break up. To my knowledge I am the only witness of this abuse. Because he was unemployed, he spent the majority of his time in their home drinking. He refused to do his own job applications and paperwork. So as an attempt to stop the abuse, I would end up doing this paperwork for him. If I didn’t, he would be verbally abusive towards me and more violent towards my mother. Two years ago, she reported Almanzo to the police for slashing her car tires after an argument where she refused to pay for Almanzo’s car repairs. When the police arrived to take a statement Almanzo fled the house. While questioning my mother, the police implied that she incited this act of violence, as well as questioned her sobriety. While I was not present at the time, I know my mother was fearful of Almanzo's actions and she was not under the influence of any kind.
When I last spoke to my mom on the Friday before she was found, she told me over text that she was going to spend the night at a hotel because she and Almanzo had gotten into a fight. I told her that she should leave Almanzo and she agreed with me. My assumption as to why she didn’t want to meet in person is because she had a black eye and bruises. It is not clear what she did over that weekend, the only thing that the police found about that weekend were many calls to her from Almanzo. We know that eventually she went back to the house.
On Monday November, 16th she did not show up for work or call in and nobody heard from her that day. This is not like her at all. The following morning, Almanzo claims that he found her unconscious in her home and called the police telling them that he assumed it was a burglary, but fled the house for fear of being blamed.
I do not believe the story Almanzo told the police. There was no sign of forced entry. There was nothing missing besides her keys. I went to her house to collect her belongings, while there I discovered that some of her clothes were missing as well as all of the kitchen knives. When he would be aggressive with her, she would try to defend herself with knives, it’s possible that he took them to prevent her from fighting back.
On a separate occasion when I went back to the house, I saw Almanzo come out from the house looking for something. He stared at me angrily trying to intimidate me, then he got in his car and blew a stop sign. I don’t know what he was looking for or why he was at the house.
Almanzo has tried to contact me on several occasions. He didn’t leave any messages, I didn’t answer his calls, and after a certain number of calls I blocked his number. My assumption is that he is trying to gaslight me.
Over the last two years, I’ve been trying to convince my mother to leave Almanzo. She’s been telling him to leave her house for months now. But, because she wouldn’t leave that situation I felt it was best if I left my mother’s home for my own health and safety. Our relationship had been getting better since I left. However, she still had hope that I would come back. In the weeks leading up to her death, she would project her anger towards Almanzo onto me. I noticed bruises on her neck from him strangling her when he was angry. I’ve witnessed this type of assault from him before. The last time we spoke, she yelled at me saying that she “wished he would end her life.” We then made a plan for her to leave him and find her an apartment. This was the last thing we talked about and what I thought she planned on doing. Currently, this man has been walking around, free, for 2 months because the police haven’t found enough evidence to arrest him. If Almanzo were to ever come after me. This statement would serve as evidence of his ill intent towards me. It also builds a stronger case for my mother. I hope that a closer view of his abuse and violence in that relationship will reveal the truth, so that my mother, Kim Laen Theng receives the justice she deserves, and I can live in peace.
Here is a general breakdown of the expenses I plan for this fund to cover:
$12,000 Lawyer expenses / Case expenses / Restraining order
$1,000 Mom’s memorial in Massachusetts / Room and board
$2,500 Cambodia / Scattering the ashes / Passport / Room and board
$1,000 Housekeeping / Preparations to sell the house
$2,000 Medical Expenses / Therapy / Group Therapy
This money would go towards lawyer expenses, preparations to sell her house, travel expenses and medical expenses. Her memorial is delayed due to COVID-19 and will be held in Massachusetts where most of her family resides. In the future, my mom’s ashes will be scattered in Cambodia. There are no other immediate family members besides myself in Minnesota, to take care of her estates.
xoxo,
Sonitha Tep (she/they) & Beau Tate (he/they)
Organizer and beneficiary
Beau Tate
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
Sonitha Tep
Beneficiary